Protective hat

Abstract: A protective hat (10) for children and adults comprises a head-enveloping member (12) constructed of a core (20,28,30) of impact absorbent foam, encapsulated within a shell (50,52,54,56) of textile fabric material, the textile fabric material providing the inner and outer surfaces of the hat. The core is so constructed as to provide for conformity to the shape of head of the wearer, and to allow for ventilation. The bulk and density of the foam core is such that, in sizes for children, the hat provides significant buoyancy.

Description: The present invention relates to protective headwear, and more specifically, to protective hats suitable for use by children, adolescents and adults. Numerous kinds of protective headwear have heretofore been proposed. Such headwear includes, for example, the protective helmet disclosed in US-A-3,171,133, and is often quite unconventional in appearance and objectionable for that reason alone. Attempts have been made to provide combined dress and protective headwear, usually for children. For example, in US-A-2,717,384, there is disclosed a combined dress and protective hat including a circular cap, constructed over a cruciform framework of protective elements. This device, too, differs greatly in appearance from conventional headgear, and reveals itself at once to be a specially constructed protective device. WO 93/13683 discloses a protective cap having a hemispherical head shell formed by radially arranged segmented panels. Each panel consists of a fabric pocket containing a shock absorbent pad, the panels being separated from adjacent panels by flexible fold lines. In US-A-4,581,773, comprising the futures of the preamble of claim 1 there are disclosed two embodiments of a protective hat specifically intended for infants and toddlers, and which provides a conventional and unobjectional appearance, while also comfortably providing a protective function. Such a hat is constructed using components made up of cores of resilient shock absorbent foam material, encapsulated in fabric shells. In attempting to apply the principles of US-A-4,581,773 to protective hats for larger sizes, such as for children four years of age and older, adolescents and adults, it has been found that simply enlarging the hat and providing thicker foam is not a practical solution. On the contrary, it has been found that use of core elements in excess of about 9.5 mm (3/8 inch) in thickness produces a hat difficult to shape to the head of a wearer, which is uncomfortable to wear due to poor ventilation, and which is difficult to fabricate. There is a need, therefore, to provide an easily manufactured protective hat which is suitable for use by older children, adolescents and adults. In one aspect, the present invention provides a protective hat having shock absorptive and insulating properties, comprising a head-receiving member adapted to overlie and protect at least the sides, top and rear of the head of a wearer, said head-receiving member comprising an arcuate member adapted to partly encircle the head of a wearer, from the region above the eyes, over the head and down to the nape of the neck and two closure members which protect at least the ears of the wearer, said closure members having edge portions thereof complementary with and fixedly coupled to respective edge portions of said arcuate member so that said arcuate and said closure members define a concavity adapted to receive the head of a wearer, said arcuate and closure members each comprising a core of resilient shock absorbent polymeric foam material and a shell of textile fabric material, said shell being so constructed and arranged as to fully enclose and encapsulate said core so that said hat has a conventional appearance and surface texture, wherein said core has a plurality of generally arcuate slits therethrough to facilitate conformity of said core to the shape of the head of a wearer and to facilitate ventilation of said concavity. The present invention generally provides a protective hat which, depending on the dimensions and type of material used, is suitable for wearing by children or adults, as desired. Preferably the hat is provided with a chin strap. In one presently contemplated and preferred form of the present invention, the head-receiving member is fabricated from three sub-assemblies, one an arcuate member which partly encircles the head of a wearer, disposed in the direction of the medial plane of the head, and the other two being side pieces which enclose the sides of the head, preferably covering the temple, ears and a portion of the lower jaw of the wearer. Edge portions of the side pieces are complementary with and coupled to the respective edge portions of the arcuate member. Together, the arcuate member and the side members form a concavity adapted to receive the head of a wearer. In a particularly preferred construction, the arcuate member and the side pieces have an inner core comprising a layer of impact absorbent foam material, preferably of the closed-cell type, fully enclosed within a shell of textile fabric to give the article a conventional appearance and "feel". The thickness of the cores is such that the hat has considerable and noticeable "bulk" and it is a particular advantage that, in smaller sizes, the hat has significant buoyancy in water relative to the weight of the user. Preferably, the core has a plurality of spaced holes therethrough distributed over the surface of the core to further facilitate ventilation of the concavity. The holes preferably are arranged in arcuate rows, with the slits being disposed between the rows of holes. The core preferably has a thickness of about 9.5 to 25 mm (3/8 to about 1 inch). The closure member preferably comprises a side piece having a core of resilient shock absorbent foam material and a shell of textile fabric material, the shell being so constructed and arranged as to fully enclose and encapsulate the core of the side piece. It is preferred that some of the holes in the core of the side piece are so disposed as to overlie the ear of a wearer, at least one of the slits being so shaped as to in part surround the ear of a wearer to facilitate conformity of the side piece to the shape of the side of the head of a user. The arcuate member preferably covers the head of a wearer from the forehead to the nape of the neck. The core of the arcuate member preferably has a central opening, some of the slits being disposed around the central opening, particularly where at least some of the slits extend radially from the central opening. A particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a protective hat in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of a core element used in the present invention; Figure 3 is a plan view of another core element used in the present invention; Figure 4 is an exploded view, showing details of the construction of a hat in accordance with the present invention; and Figure 5 is a partial cross-sectional view, taken along the line 5-5 in Figure 1, and showing a construction detail of a hat in accordance with the present invention. Referring now to the drawings in detail, there is seen in Figure 1 a protective hat designated generally by the reference numeral 10. The protective hat 10 comprises a head enveloping member, designated generally by the reference numeral 12, which may also be referred to as a "crown". The head enveloping member 12 is adapted to overlie and protect at least the sides and top of the head of a wearer. The head-enveloping member 12 includes an arcuate member 14, which covers and protects the head of a wearer from a forwardly projecting tip 14' disposed just above the eyebrows to the nape of the neck. The arcuate member 14 extends, in general, in the direction of the medial plane of the head. The head enveloping member 12 also includes side pieces 16 and 18, joined to the arcuate member 14 in a manner to be described below. The arcuate member 14 and side pieces 16, 18 together form a concavity, closed on three sides and at the top, which may be placed over the head of the wearer. The side pieces 16 and 18 are so arranged with respect to the arcuate member 14 that edge portions of the side pieces 16 and 18, such as the edge portion 16' in Figure 1, are complementary with and coupled to respective edge portions of the arcuate member 14 (such as the edge portion 14' in Figure 1). The arcuate member 14 and side pieces 16 and 18 of the head enveloping member 12 preferably include a resilient shock absorbent core of plastic polymeric material, enclosed in a shell, preferably of textile fabric material, as is illustrated in Figure 4. Less desirably, the shell may be of other materials, such as plastic polymeric sheet. Figure 2 illustrates a presently preferred form of a core for the head-enveloping member of crown 12. The core 20 comprises an initially flat sheet of shock absorbent and thermally insulating material, which may ty[ically be cut or die stamped to shape from a flat sheet of raw material. The core 20 is perforated, as by holes 22, to enhance the vapour permeability of the finished hat 10, and may also be perforated, as by the illustrated slits 24. The edges 26 of the core 20 are bevelled (as best seen in Figure 4), for reasons described below, and the shape of the core 20 is such as to facilitate assembly of the head-enveloping member 12 and side pieces 16 and 18. The side pieces 16 and 18 have cores 28 and 30, which may also typically be cut or die stamped from a sheet of suitable material, preferably from a similar kind of material as the core 20. Referring now to Figure 3, like the core 20, the cores 28 and 30 (of which only the core 28 is shown in Figure 3) may be provided with holes 32, which serve to provide ventilation, as do the above-mentioned holes 22 of the core 20. The edges of the cores 28 and 30 may be bevelled, as at 34, complementary to the bevelled edges 26 of the core 20. The cores 28 and 30 are also provided with slits 36, 38 and 40, similar to the above-mentioned slits 24, the purposes of which are explained below. Referring again to Figure 2, it will be seen that the holes 22 in the core 20 are preferably arranged in what may be described roughly as arcs about a generally central hole 22'. The slits 24 are approximately arcuate and are, for the most part, cut widthwise of the member 14 and roughly parallel or concentric with the arcs of the holes 22 to which they are closest. The slits around the central hole 22' comprise arcuate segments 24' generally surrounding the central hole 22' and radial segments 24'' extending outwardly from the central hole 22'. The slits 24, and to a lesser extent, the holes, facilitate conformity of the initially flat core 20 to the compound curvature of the head of a wearer as well as enhancing ventilation. Referring now to Figure 3, it will be understood that the core 28 depicted is the core associated with the side piece 18. The core 30 associated with the side piece 16 is similarly configured, but beveled on the opposite face (see Figure 4). The cores 28 and 30, and hence the side pieces 16 and 18 with which they are associated, are shaped to include a zone "a", projecting forwardly when the hat 10 is operatively disposed, so that it overlies and fully protects the temple of the wearer. The cores 28 and 30 also include a zone "b" which overlies and protects a portion of the lower jaw of the wearer when the hat 10 is operatively disposed. The lower edge of the core 28 is preferably generally horizontally oriented, to maximise protection of the jaw. It will be apparent that the slits 36, 38 and 40 are of a curved contour, spaced from each other, and cut in the illustrated embodiment so that the slit 36 is roughly parallel to the edge 34. The slits 36, 38 and 40 may be described for convenience as "nested" curves, generally parallel to one another in the sense that they do not intersect or sharply converge anywhere along their respective lengths. The areas bounded by and within the curves defined by the respective slits 36, 38 and 40 may, when the hat 10 is fitted to the head of a wearer, be offset to permit the cores 28 and 30 (and subsequently the side pieces 16 and 18) to take on compound curves, enabling the side pieces to conform to the head of the wearer. The shape and orientation of the larger slits 38 and 40 is preferably such that at least one of the slits 38 and 40 in part surrounds the ear of user of the hat 10. The slits 36, 38 and 40 and the holes 32 allow for better hearing through the hat 10 and for the use, for example, of hearing aids. The slit 40, farthest from the edge 34, takes the form of a relatively small radius, and forms a tab-like zone or region 42. The area between the slits 40 and 38 forms a zone or region 44, and the area between the slits 38 and slit 36 forms a zone or region 46. The area between the slit 36 and the edge 34 of the side piece 16 may be said to form a zone or region 48. In the illustrated form of the side piece 16, the holes 32 in the zone or region 48 form an arc generally parallel to the contour of the edge 34. The holes 32 in the zone or region 46 likewise form an arc generally parallel to the contour of the edge 34. The holes in the zone or region 44 follow the contour of that zone or region, and the holes in the zone or region 42 include holes which, together with holes disposed in the other regions, form an arc generally parallel to the front edge 34' of the side piece 16. Another hole is disposed generally at what may be considered a focal point of the small-radius arc defined by the slit 40. It will be appreciated that other arrangements of slits and holes may be used, as desired. Referring now to Figure 4, it will be seen that the core 20 is enclosed by fabric shell pieces 50 and 52, which are eventually stitched together around their peripheries and outside the periphery of the core 20. The cores 28 and 30 are preferably enclosed in a similar manner. Thus, an outer shell piece 54 and an inner shell piece 56 are associated with the core 28. Like the above-described shell pieces 50 and 52, the shapes of the respective shell pieces 54 and 56 approximate the shape of the core with which they are associated, in this instance the core 30. The outer shell piece 54 and inner shell piece 56 are stitched together around the periphery and outside the periphery of the core 30. The material from which the shell pieces 50, 52, 54 and 56 are made may be any suitable fabric. In one presently preferred form of the invention, the material used for the shell pieces is a broadcloth of 65% polyester and 35% cotton. Such a material provides a desirable degree of durability and soil resistance, as well as an acceptable feel and conventional appearance. It has been found desirable to cut the inner shell pieces on the bias, whereas the outer shell pieces are advantageously straight of grain. Water-resistant nylon and other fabrics or materials may be used depending upon the desired application. The shell which encloses the cores 20 and 30 will now be described in greater detail. An outer shell piece 50 provides the outer surface of the top of the head enveloping member 12, and an inner shell piece 52 provides an inner lining of the top portion of the head enveloping member 12. The outer and inner shell pieces 50 and 52 are cut or stamped to a shape somewhat similar to the shape of the core 20, but somewhat larger, and they are stitched to each other around their peripheries outside the peripheral edge of the core 20. When such stitching is completed, the outer and inner shell pieces 50 and 52 fully enclose and encapsulate the core 20 so that the outer surfaces of the protective hat 10 have a conventional appearance and texture imparted by the material of the shell pieces 50 and 52. As in the case of the core 20, the core 28 and 30 are enclosed and encapsulated in a suitable shell of fabric. Figure 5 shows construction detail of a protective hat in accordance with the invention. It illustrates the assembled relationship among the cores 20 and 30 and the fabric shell pieces 50 and 52 and 54 and 56, respectively. It also illustrates the manner in which the head-enveloping member 12 and side pieces 16 and 18 may be assembled and the manner in which the cores can conform to the head of the wearer. It will be seen that the respective outer shell piece 50 and inner shell piece 52, and outer shell piece 54 and inner shell piece 56, when sewn together around the peripheries of their respective cores 20 and 30, provide small areas of selvage 58, 60 which facilitate their being stitched together as at 62, to construct the head-enveloping member 12. The bevelled edges 26 and 34 of the cores 20 and 30 provide in effect, a "mitre", allowing for an angled corner. A variety of stitching and finishing techniques will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, but it is presently preferred that the selvage of the shell pieces 50 and 52 and the selvage of the outer shell pieces 54 and 56 be joined by a line of stitching 62, and that binding material 64 be used to "pipe" or finish the edge. The binding material may be cotton or cotton-poly interlock knit or other suitable material. The cores 20 and 28 are particularly preferably made from dimensionally stable, chemically inert, highly impact-resistant material. One suitable material which is presently used is sold by Uniroyal, Inc. under the trademark "Ensolite", type "AA". It comprises a closed-cell foam of specially modified PVC with nitrile rubber. The material is a cross-linked polymer capable of withstanding repeated impact/recovery cycles, and has a density of between about 4.0 and 6.0 lbs./cu. ft. (64 and 96 kg/m 3 ), a thermal conductivity of 0.26, and a 25% compression resistance of 5.0 to 7.0 psi (34.5kPa to 48.3kPa) at 700°F (371°C). Other equivalent foams can be used. In presently preferred forms of the invention, the cores 20 and 28 have thicknesses of about 3/8 inch to 1 inch (9.5 to 25 mm), as is explained below. It has been found that in constructions in accordance with the invention, for sizes appropriate for children age 4 through 7, the thickness of the foam is preferably in the range of 3/8 to 1/2 inch (9.5 to 13 mm), and the holes in the cores approximately 3/8 inch (9.5 mm) in diameter. For children ages 7 through 12 years, the thickness of the foam is preferably from 1/2 to 3/4 inch (13 to 19 mm), and the holes in the cores approximately 1/2 inch (13 mm) diameter. For adult sizes, the thickness of the foam is preferably in the range of 5/8 to 1 inch (16 to 25 mm), and the holes in the cores approximately 9/16 inch (14 mm) in diameter. A suitable chin strap 68, 0-ring 70 or other means of securement may be provided to secure the hat 10 to the head of a wearer. For example, referring to Figure 1, the illustrated chin strap 68 may be passed through a light weight "unbreakable" plastic 0-ring 70, and secured to itself by self-adhering fasteners 72 of the "Velcro" (trade mark) type. Other arrangements will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The chin strap 68 may be of cotton or polycotton interlock knit fabric or other suitable material. As may be seen in Figure 1, a chin guard 66 may be associated with the chin strap 68, for added chin protection and wearer comfort. The chin guard 66 (shown partly broken away in Figure 1) may be made of foam like that of the cores 20, 28 and 30, of suitable thickness appropriate to the intended user, and covered with a shell of fabric to match the fabric of the above-described shell pieces. The present invention has been found to be useful in numerous applications for children. Among these are: post-surgery protection, and protection from head trauma in cases of physical or emotional disability. The invention is also of use in preventing or moderating head injuries in play activities such as sledding and skiing, and it has been found that the flotation property of the closed end foams used makes the invention useful as an aid to swimming instruction for children. The thermal insulating properties of the foam are also useful for sledding and skiing. For older children, the conventional look of the hat has been found to be more appealing to image-conscious adolescents than traditional protective helmets, and the present protective hat is generally more comfortable to wear than traditional helmets. For adults, the present hat is a comfortable, lightweight, safe alternative to unsightly protective helmets in current use in a number of applications related to problems associated with aging.

Claims: A hat having shock absorptive and insulating properties, comprising a head-receiving member (12) adapted to overlie and protect at least the sides, top and rear of the head of a wearer, said head-receiving member (12) comprising an arcuate member (14) adapted to partly encircle the head of a wearer from the region above the eyes, over the head and down to the nape of the neck, and two closure members (16,18) which protect at least the ears of the wearer, said closure members (16,18) having edge portions (16',18') thereof complementary with and fixedly coupled to respective edge portions (14') of said arcuate member (14) so that said arcuate (12) and said closure members (16,18) define a concavity adapted to receive the head of a wearer, said arcuate (14) and closure (16,18) members each comprising a core (20,28,30) of resilient shock absorbent polymeric foam material and a shell of textile fabric material, said shell (50,52,54,56) being so constructed and arranged as to fully enclose and encapsulate said core (20,28,30) so that said hat has a conventional appearance and surface texture, characterised in that said core (20,28,30) has a plurality of generally arcuate slits (24,36,38,40) therethrough to facilitate conformity of said core (20,28,30) to the shape of the head of a wearer and to facilitate ventilation of said concavity. A hat according to claim 1 wherein said core (20,28,30) has a plurality of spaced holes (22,32) therethrough distributed over the surface of said core (20,28,30) to facilitate ventilation of said concavity. A hat according to claim 2 wherein at least some of said holes (22,32) are arranged in arcuate rows, said slits (24,36,38,40) being disposed between said rows of holes (22,32). A hat according to any preceding claim, wherein said core (20,28,30) of resilient material has a thickness of about 9.5 to 25 mm (3/8 to about 1 inch). A hat according to any of claims 2 to 4, wherein some of said holes (22,32) in said core (20,28,30), are so disposed as to overlie the ear of a wearer, at least one of said slits (36,38,40) being so shaped as to in part surround the ear of a wearer to facilitate conformity of said side piece to the shape of the side of the head of a user. A hat according to any preceding claim, wherein said core (20) of said arcuate member (14) has a central opening (22'), some of said slits (24) being disposed around said central opening (22'). A hat according to claim 6, wherein at least some of said slits (24) extend radially from said central opening (22'). A hat according to any preceding claim, wherein said hat is provided with a chin strap (68).

Inventors: CARRINGTON JANICE, CARRINGTON, JANICE
Applicants: PLUM ENTERPRISES INC, PLUM ENTERPRISES, INC.
Application year: 1994
Main classification: A42B3
IPC codes: A42B1, A42B3